


Default Chivalry

by Louzeyre



Category: Veronica Mars (Movie 2014), Veronica Mars (TV), Veronica Mars - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Magic, Alternate Universe - Medieval, F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-14
Updated: 2020-06-27
Packaged: 2021-02-28 06:01:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,162
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22708897
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Louzeyre/pseuds/Louzeyre
Summary: A clandestine wedding. A secret quest.Knights and Ladies.Witches and Curses.Scheming Lords and Pirates with a heart of gold.Its a medieval (mostly low) fantasy AU!
Relationships: Lilly Kane & Veronica Mars, Logan Echolls/Veronica Mars
Comments: 15
Kudos: 27





	1. A Clandestine Wedding

**Author's Note:**

> This is sort of a crack fic? I have had some version of it bouncing around in my head for a while. I almost wrote something similar for the Logan/ Veronica AU week last year but I couldn't quite fit it to the prompts. 
> 
> When I started writing this version, I realized the first chapter might be good for Valentine Days, especially since I haven't quite gotten Logan and Veronica together together yet in my other fics. 
> 
> I hope someone else gets as much of a kick out of it as I do. Please let me know what you think. Any comments, good or bad, nitpicky or more general would be great. 
> 
> If there's a fantasy trope you would like to see in this world, let me know. I have some plans on expanding it beyond the number of chapter listed if there's interest. 
> 
> Thank you!
> 
> Happy Valentine's Day!
> 
> Thank you.

Padraig had been asked to perform perhaps more than his fair share of secret marriages over the years.

The capitol drew in the young from all corners of the kingdom and where there’s the young, love was sure to follow. Most those who came to him were apprentices whose contracts were not yet up, or servants without their master’s permission to marry. But his Sanctuary was close enough to the court that there had also been the occasional pair of young nobles trying to evade their parent choice of a match.

The couple before him, Padraig was certain, was of the last sort. Both they and those attending them as witnesses had seemed to make an attempt to dress, to avoid drawing too much attention. But even in their plainest, darkest clothes, there were too many signs that gave them away.

But though Padraig had noticed this, he was still not prepared for _what_ names he heard the small group whispered between themselves. The bride and groom did, at least, attempt to retain some secrecy by referring to each other as _Logan_ and _Veronica_ , but their two attendants were not careful.

It was well known throughout the capitol --- throughout the kingdom --- that tomorrow Lord Aron Oakmeadow and his former liege Lord Jon Kane would be formalizing the betrothal between their respective children, Leoghan Oakmeadow and Lady Lilibeth.

Most thought it a fair match if one that was better for House Oakmeadow then House Kane. More so, as the two were of age with each other --- something of a rarity for first marriages among the noble houses --- and knew each other well. Leoghan had acted as a page and a squire in the Kane household and was known to be great friends with Lady Lilibeth’s brother, Duncan.

But before Padraig had stood Leoghan Oakmeadow, hoping to swear vows to make the daughter of Sir Ket of the Marshes his wife while Lady Lilibeth stood by and gave her apparent blessing to the union as the brides’ attendant.

There were rumors. That Leaghan had changed a great deal following his astonishing recovery from a fever last spring. What sort of changes he had undergone differed between the tellers. Some claim he had grown mad or addlebrained, others that he had simply grown into the man he was always meant to be. Other’s whispered that he was no longer Leoghan at all, but someone --- or something --- who had used the desperate prayers from the boy’s family to crawl into this world from somewhere else.

But to Padraig, he had not seemed mad or addlebrained. He also did not flinch from the blessings of the gods, as one might expect if he was somehow.

What he seemed was very much in love.

Which, Padraig supposed, could be thought of as a sort of madness.

Padraig realized it would be best for himself, and possible for the kingdom, to refuse to continue the ceremony, and to warn Lord Aron and Sir Ket of their plans.

But he could not find it within himself to do so.

It seemed the gods agreed.

Once the last words of the ceremony were said, and the couple was bid to sanctify their bond with a kiss.

A faint glow then surrounded the two. It was not so very bright. It did not last for long. But it was unmistakable.

The marriage rite was meant to bind two people together, not just in law, but in spirit and by magic.

It was said that in centuries past, a sign of this bond was commonly manifested during the wedding ceremony, but they had become rare in recent times.

Padraig had only witnessed perhaps two or three in all his years performing such ceremonies, and only heard of a handful witnessed by others. None had been as clear or impressive as that between Leoghan and his bride.

But despite this sign, after the party left, Padraig had still spent the rest of the night praying. That this was truly a sign that he had done what was right. And that it would not end badly, either for the young couple, or for everyone else.


	2. Scheming Lords

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to everyone who read, commented or Kudoed on this fic so far! This just a short slightly experimental bit of exposition. There will be a real, story chapter soon! I have planned to put these bits of history in-between chapters, but I would love to hear what you think going forward.

**Excerpt from _A History of the_ _Kingdom of the Sea and its People_ as Written by Chlodovech Truelove:**

Following the loss of King Mauger V’s only true born children in the Brown Boat Catastrophe, Mauger annulled his marriage to his first wife and wed a younger and presumed to be more fertile queen. Twice. No heir, however, was born of these unions.

Mauger’s natural successor then seemed to be his cousin, Duke Wood Goodman of the Fields. The Duke was the ruler of a small city-state across the Arm Sea, and grandson to the previous King’s only sister.

There were certainly those among the Kingdom’s nobility that sought favor with the Duke in anticipation of his future accession.

The elder Lord Richard of House White both sent his youngest son to act as squire to the Duke, and attempted to arrange a marriage between his eldest son and Goodman’s daughter Joanna.

Lord Lucas of House Elderman was said to have offered up his eldest son and namesake as a potential groom for Joanna as well.

Not everyone, however, wished for the Duke to inherit the crown. Some believed that succession could only flow through the male line. Some did not want a King who had been born and raised in a foreign land, regardless of whose blood he carried. Some saw the end of the Valbonne line as an opportunity for the nobility to regain the power they had lost during the conquest. And some recognized it as a chance to place someone of their own blood --- or at least the blood of one of their allies --- on the throne.

Of the last of these, the most prominent was Lord John Kane.

House Kane is, of course, one of the oldest noble family in the Kingdom of the Sea. It traces its descent from one of the Original Nine families that were said to rule the Kingdoms that now comprise the Kingdom of the Sea prior to the Valbonne conquest.

Lord John Kane made the house the wealthiest in the Kingdom. While outwardly he proclaimed his ambitions to be no more than to see his son follow him as Head of the King Chamber Council, by the time of his daughter’s ill-fated betrothal feast it had become well known among certain circles of the nobility that he harbored hoped of making his son, Duncan, King.

**House Kane at the end of Mauger V’s Reign included:**

  * **John Kane,** Lord of Streaming Towers, Head of the King’s Chamber Council 
    * His Wife, **Celeste, formerly of House Victorious**. While this was a political match, but Lady Kane was known to be jealously protective not only of her position and the power that came with it, but also of her husband’s affection. 
      * **Duncan** their son and heir, the object of his father’s ambition, in spite of inheriting a family curse.1
      * Their Daughter, **Lilibeth** , called Lilly. Lady-in-Waiting to King Mauger V’s then Queen. Prospective bride of Leoghan Oakmeadow2 
        * Lillibeth’s nursery companion and dearest friend, **Berenice**. Daughter of Sir Ket of the Marshes, Court Marshal and Captain of the Capitol guards.
    * **Sir Clarence Willowman** , Captain of House Kane’s personal guard and Lord John’s closest confident.



Notes:

  1. While in present times it is known that Duncan Kane had inherited a family curse, at the time of his sister betrothal feast, this was a well-guarded secret. Lord John is thought to have spent a great deal of gold on potions to control his son’s affliction --- and even more on bribes to hide it. Even for some time after it was known, the exact nature and cause of his curse was debated. Current scholarship now suggests however that It was the result of a broken deal between the Original Nine families and a witch many generations before.
  2. Lady Lilibeth’s planned betrothal to Leoghan Oakmeadow has attracted some debate among scholars given that other possible alliance may have done more to further Lord Kane’s ambitions for his son. Some have even suggested that it was a hastily made match, made to protect Lady Lillibeth’s reputation. This is, however, mostly based on a reference by earlier scholars to a now lost letter written by a fellow Lady-in-Waiting letter which implied that Lady Lilibeth had been found in a compromised position with an armorer’s apprentice several weeks prior to her planned betrothal feast. Given Lady Lillibeth’s nobility and intelligence as well as the consequences such a liaison would cause both for herself and her family, however, most scholars now agree this is nothing more than the jealous writings of a rival.



**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A bit of Trivia: The Brown Boat Catastrophe is a play on the White Ship Disaster in which the only legitimate son of King Henry I of England died due to a drunken boat party. On a trip back from their lands in Normandy, Henry traveled back on his own ship, while his seventeen year old son along with roughly 300 other young courtiers decide to return on the newly retrofitted White Ship. The Prince, his friends and everyone else on board --- including the crew --- ended up getting incredibly drunk. The ship didn't even make it out of the harbor. It hit a submerged rock and capsized. Someone did have the presence of mind to put the only male heir to the English throne in a small boat that should have gotten him to safety, but he apparently heard his half-sister crying for help and ordered the board back. The boat was quickly swamped with people trying to save themselves and everyone drowned.
> 
> Thank you again for reading. Please let me know what you think in the comments. Stay safe!


	3. Knights and Ladies

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to everyone who is still reading this, and especially to those who have commented or kudoed. 
> 
> I would love any feedback you could give me, good or bad. 
> 
> Thank you. Stay safe.

Lilly loved tournaments.

Knights and Lords from every corner of the kingdom gathered to compete for lady’s favors as much as prizes. There was a feeling of excitement, of _fun_ in the air. When the young could mix, and marriages were contracted. Some of those young people found might even find their way into a bit of mischief on the way to those marriages without much fuss being made.

At least, as long as, there was no mess to clean up afterwards.

In fact, it was practically _expected._

This was especially true for the tournament held each year to mark the start of summer, and honor Lilly’s favorite goddess. The goddess of love, romance and beauty. And sex. Although for some reason _that_ attribute tended to not get as much official worship as Lilly thought it was due.

This year, however, the days leading up to the tournament had had a pall over them.

Her betrothal.

Lilly knew, of course, that she would one day have to marry a man her father’s choosing. No doubt a political match to further his ambitions for her brother.

But she had hoped she would have a bit more time. And ideally a husband who would be old enough to ensure she would have a short marriage and a long widowhood.

It was her own fault, really. She had gotten sloppy.

One of the maids had found her abed --- or in truth a-hayloft --- with Eli and run off and told her mother.

Lilly had told Eli to run. From the city preferably. He had said not, wanted to leave without her. Chivalrous idiot.

So, she’d been forced to make it clear that from that moment forward he was permanently barred from _her_ hayloft.

Her parents had scrambled to find her groom that was both well born enough not to be an embarrassment and willing and able to be in the Capitol for the betrothal ceremony before the consequences of her action were past hiding.

As through Lilly hadn’t known how to avoid _those_ consequences since she was twelve.

That was why her father had chosen Leoghan.

Not that she found Leoghan _in particular_ objectionable. To her at least. In fact, if she was forced to have a (young) husband, she could think of few better.

She and Leoghan had had their fair share of fun together as children. And even more fun when they had reached childhood’s end. He had certainly seemed eager and enthusiastic enough when she had taken his virginity two years prior.

But he would still be a husband, and after they wed, she would be expected to leave court and live with him at his family seat. At least until she bore him an heir.

No thank you.

When Berenice began acting strangely a few weeks ago --- swinging between wanting to spend every moment with Lilly and trying to avoid her as much as possible --- Lilly had assumed she too was upset about Lilly’s upcoming nuptials.

Lilly and Berenice had spent their entire lives together, never more than a corridor or two away from each other. Now, for the first time, they would be separated by several days travel, for an unknown amount of time.

After Leoghan’s arrival, however, and he and Berenice had come to Lilly together and confessed the truth.

Following Leoghan’s illness the spring before last he and Berenice had begun a correspondence. First as friends and then, slowly, as something more.

They were in love. And they actually _wanted_ to marry.

Lilly would admit her pride had been pique at first. Mostly by the fact that Berenice had not shared her secret with Lilly rather than by the fact that Leoghan wish to marry someone else.

But Lilly had loved Berenice like a sister even before she had discovered that she most likely _was_ her sister.

And if Berenice was to finally going to embrace her wildness, and defy her family to make a secret love match --- then by the gods Lilly was going make sure she was to be right there, standing by her side.

And if doing so allow her to avoid her own unwanted betrothal, all the better.

The actual arrangements and ceremony had been far easier than Lilly would have thought. They had all managed to sneak out of the Palace to the sanctuary and back with no one else the wiser.

A feat Lilly had thought would be near impossible after Leoghan had insisted on having Richard White the younger as his attendant.

But in the morning, when Berenice had found her way back to the chamber, she and Lilly shared she seemed _far_ too tense for a woman who had just married her true love. And far, far too tense for one who spent the night with a man Lilly had taught to pleasure a woman.

“What has he done?” Lilly demanded.

“What?” Berenice looked bewildered a moment until Lilly’s meaning sunk in. “Why would you ask that?”

“Because you look more like a woman about to mount the scaffold than one returning from her wedding night.”

Berenice sighed.

“I’m worried about tonight. None of our fathers are going be pleased when they discover what we’ve done.”

Lilly rolled her eyes.

“What’s done is done. And given the glow I saw last night, not even my father can find a way to undue it. They’ll come around. They’ll have to.”

“It’s not that simple, Lilly.”

“What will they do? Disown you? You are the apple of your father’s eye,” Lilly told her. Both her fathers’ eyes actually, but now were not the time to burden Berenice with _that_ truth, “So you should have no fear _there_ and Leoghan is his parents only heir. Even _if_ Lord Aron could convince the King to legitimize Charles so he could leave him his lands, Leoghan has already inherited from his mother. He simply needs to wait until he reaches his majority to gain control of them. Until then there are plenty who would loan you money in anticipation of being rewarded once he comes of age. What’s a few years of living frugally in exchange of a lifetime with someone you love?”

Berenice stared at Lilly a moment. Her started with shock then shifted into something far sadder. Something that looked almost like pity.

Lilly didn’t like it.

“There thing which they can do that are far worse than disowning us Lilly.” Berenice finally said.

“This isn’t the dark times Berenice.” Lilly reminded her. “And they aren’t barbarians. They’re _nobles_ for the gods sake _._ ”

Berenice’s frown deepened for a moment. Then her face shifted again, this time into a semblance of a smile.

It wasn’t a real smile.

They both knew it.

But they also both wanted to pretend it was, for the moment.

“You’re right. It does not good to worry now. Why don’t you help me choose a gown to wear to the tournament?” Berenice offered. “At least then way you can’t complain about my choice.”

“I don’t complain.” Lilly countered, “I simply don’t know why you insist on hiding how beautiful you truly are.”

****

In the end, Lilly had given Berenice one of her own gowns to wear. It had required some adjusting, given the differences in their proportions, and Berenice had insisted on wearing a chemise that fill in more of the neckline than Lilly thought entirely necessary, but it was still a better than the yellow linen tunic Lilly had found among Berenice’s things.

Not long after they had just settled into their box in the stands, Lilly was surprised to see Leoghan threading his way through the crowd towards them.

When they had been children, Leoghan he been as enthusiastic as any other boy in his training. But Lord Aron had been --- continue to be to --- renowned for his performance in the tournament circuit and

by the time Lilly and Berenice had left Streaming Towers for court, Leoghan’s distaste for training had grown in proportion to his dislike of his father.

Since Leoghan had arrived in the Capitol, however, Lilly and Berenice had found Leoghan training in the practice yard every day.

Lilly had assumed, incorrectly it seems, that Leoghan’s change of heart was due to a desire to participate in the tournament.

“Are you not entering the list today Leoghan?” She asked as he reached the box. “However, will you prove your gallantry to your lady love?”

Lilly moved down / to allow Leoghan to sit between herself and Berenice 

“I am secure enough in both my love and my manhood to not feel the need to prove it by waving around sticks or hitting other men with dull swords.”

Lilly smirked.

“Or perhaps you fear your time in the country has made you soft.”

“ _That_ I can assure isn’t the case.” He countered.

“Hmmm, what do you think Berenice? You’ve seen Leoghan in the practice yard more recently than I have--- what you say of the prowess of his stick and the skill of his sword?”

Lilly had expected maidenly blushes and nervous stammers from her friend. Instead Berenice returned Lilly’s smirk with one of her own.

“I believe that Leoghan has already proven himself to be one of the most skilled swordsmen in the land.” Her smirked widened, “And there is no part of him that is soft.”

Lilly stared at her friend a moment, then let out a long, loud laugh. She leaned in close afterwards and whispered to them both.

“Married life suits you!”

Lilly then sat up slightly higher on her cushion and looked out over the crowd. She turned back toward the pair with another wicked smile.

“Well, if you are now such experts, perhaps you can help me choose who to give my favor to this afternoon?”

“Lilly…” Berenice shook her head.

“I am not yet betrothed.” Lilly reminded Berenice, “And if Leoghan is not to competing, no one can find fault in me choosing another champion.”

Leoghan and Berenice turned towards each other, and shared a look that spoke of a mutual understanding. Lilly felt an unexpected pang of jealously. She soon shook it off, though, and the pair turned back towards her. Berenice let out a fond, if slightly resigned sigh.

“Who do you have your eye on?” 


End file.
